Republicans are well known for their “dog whistle” racist tactics. But there’s no dog whistle here. Is there?

While it is somewhat shocking for the words spoken, it should not really be a surprise. Trump has been openly racist. Many of his supporters are openly racist. And Carl Paladino certainly has a long and infamous history of racism.

What is clear, is that after decades of “dog whistle” racism, the Republican Party has fostered a climate of increasing acceptance of racists as their base. And this has resulted in more open racism from Trump and his supporters.

The GOP is directly responsible for creating this climate and for Trump’s success within their party.